Fallout 3 modding FAQ
Can I mod Fallout 3 on the XBOX 360? Yes, it is possible, but the only way to be able to use User Created Content is either by owning a Development Kit or a Jtag'd 360 For other Fallout 3 modifications on the Xbox 360 do need to own either a USB flash drive or any other means of transfering data between your Xbox 360 and Computer. If you do not own either a Jtag or a Dev Kit then modding Fallout 3 is limited to: *Stats *Race *Cross-Platform Save Conversion *Inventory *Location *Item Condition *ID Swapping and various others. but with these modifications you will need some way of transfering files from your 360 HDD to your PC and vice-versa (After the recent update, you can just use a USB) For more information, visit http://www.ReapersModz.net (Requires registration). - Modding Fallout 3, or any other single player game, will not get you banned - View the Discussion Discussion page for help with Jtag/Dev Kit Fallout 3 Modding Can I mod Fallout 3 on the Playstation 3? It is unknown if you can mod Fallout 3 on the PS3 as of now. There have been videos found about modding games such as Call of Duty 4/5 and Unreal Tournament 3 on the Playstation 3. So it may be possible to also mod Fallout 3 on the Playstation 3 too, though information and resources on this are very limited. Will an editor be available? The official editor for Fallout 3, called the G.E.C.K. (Garden of Eden Creation Kit), has been released. It is available here: http://fallout.bethsoft.com/eng/downloads/geck.html. Unfortunately this is just for the PC version of the game. What is the editor like? The editor is similar to the ones for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which used an earlier version of the same engine. What file formats are used by Fallout 3? All asset files are stored within "BSA" archives in Fallout's "/data" folder. All other game data is stored in "fallout3.esm" which can be edited with the Fallout 3 Construction Set. Graphics * 3D Models: NetImmerse/Gamebryo "NIF" files (version 20.2.0.7) * Textures: DirectDraw Surface "DDS" files (DXT1, DXT3, and DXT5 format, 8.8.8.8 Unsigned is also supported) Animation * Skeletal Animation: NetImmerse/Gamebryo "KF" files (version 20.2.0.7) * Lip Sync: Bethesda(?) "LIP" files (created using workaround with Oblivion Construction Set 1.0) Audio * Speech: Ogg Vorbis "OGG" files (Mono, 44.1 kHz) * In-world 3D Effects: Waveform Audio Format "WAV" files (Mono, 22 kHz, 16 bit, PCM format) * Ambient Effects: Waveform Audio Format "WAV" files (Stereo, 22 kHz, 16 bit, PCM format) * Music and PipBoy radio: MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 "MP3" files (Stereo/Mono, 44.1 kHz, 192 kbps) * In-world 3D radio: Waveform Audio Format "WAV" files (Mono, 22 kHz, 16 bit, PCM format) How do I extract data from the BSA files? How to unpack BSA file format Where can I obtain mods? * Fallout 3 Mods dead * No Mutants Allowed * PlanetFallout * Fallout3Nexus Where can I get modding help? * Bethesda's Official GECK Wiki * No Mutants Allowed * The Nexus Forums * Duck and Cover * Fallout 3 Zone Modding Guides, Q and As * Adding a NEW Weapon by Moraelin * Changing a weapon's ammo type answered by vash1985 * Editing a weapon's magazine capacity answered by OmniTree * List of top records in ESM and descriptions by w0t * Modelling Mini Tutorial by jaysus * Skinning/Rigging Mini Tutorial by jaysus * Collision Mini Tutorial by jaysus * Setting up a Merchant Mini Tutorial by jaysus What about Performance Tweaks? Oblivion and Fallout 3 share the same engine, so tweaking the fallout.ini and falloutprefs.ini files are very similar to Oblivion.ini Examples of things to Change: * Open up Fallout.ini(in "My Documents/My Games/Fallout 3") and search the document for "thread". Any setting that has "=0" after it and the word "thread" in the name, change it to "=1". This should make better use of Dual and Quad-core systems. Also, increase iNumHavokThreads to 5 or so. Making these changes can disrupt the communication between the CPU and graphics card, causing the game and computer to lock, Particularly when exiting straight from the game. A work around, is to exit to the main menu, then exit the game. * NOTE -- It has been reported that the above tweaks may actually decrease performance (as noted in the this thread on the same subject in Oblivion). * TIP: If you experience your system to hang upon exiting the game try settting "bMultiThreadAudio=" to "0". Also Change: ifpsclamp=0 -> ifpsclamp=60 This should help with mouse lag and stuttering. Please note, this should be only used as a last resort. It is preferable to simply lower the texture sizes to increase performance. What this option does is lock the frame rate to 60 frames per second. In this game there are brief sequences where the frame rate jumps to much higher than 60 frames per second. In practical terms, setting this option to 60 will slow down the time it takes to raise the pipboy 3000, it makes the reload time agonizingly slow and disrupts the VATS system. Supposition, it is likely when making this game the programmers animated these sequences with many frames. However each event, such as reloading, has a set time for it to occur in irrespective of lagging and frame rate. The tweak that has a lock on frames overrides this set time. Remember to back up any .ini files before you start "tweaking", and to experiment with each change to see what works best with your system. ---- 12/09/09 - Lyddie Steel Win XP, AMD (Something or other, Dual Core 2.4ghtz) 2gb RAM, Ge 6150le (128mb) Fallout_Default.ini Changed iPreloadSizeLimit=54428800 ; was 26214400 iNumHavokThreads=3 ;changed from 1 Compatibility Settings Changed to "Win 2000" I was able to play ~30 mins with no CTD. On Low settings and below min specs! Load times have been increased by about 225% But Stability and almost no stuttering make it worth the wait! What kind of file formats are in Fallout 3 for Xbox 360? For all games on the Xbox 360, there are two main types: LIVE and CON. LIVE are typically used for anything downloaded off of the marketplace (DLC, Premium Themes, movies, etc). CON File means CONtainer Files. Those are typically used for saves, profiles, etc. LIVE Files, at the moment, can not be resigned to make them work on the hard drive after being edited (or added after not already existing on the hard drive) that is why GECK plugins can not work on the Xbox 360, because you would have to convert them to a LIVE File and then be able to resign them to make them work on the HDD (Hard Drive Disc). Because of Fallout 3 saves being CON files and there being a CON Resigner, you can edit these and have them working on the HDD again. The live files are not an issue though, assuming you're trying to mod with a jtagged xbox 360, you can use a program such as XLAST, or le fluffie, you browse and unpack the live containers. Then you'll have access to the .bsa files, and you can manually install whatever DLC by editing the fallout.ini and dropping the .bsa and the .esm into the data folder. don't forget to add the esm at the top of the file References Category:Fallout 3